1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiographic image capture managing system and a radiographic image capture managing method, which are capable of remotely managing a radiation detecting apparatus used respectively in various radiographic image capturing chambers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, there have widely been used radiation detecting apparatus that apply radiation to a subject and guide radiation that has passed through the subject to a radiation detector, which captures a radiographic image from the radiation. Known forms of radiation detectors include a conventional radiation film for recording a radiographic image by way of exposure, and a stimulable phosphor panel for storing radiation energy representing a radiographic image in a phosphor, and reproducing the radiographic image as stimulated light by applying stimulating light to the phosphor. The radiation film with the radiographic image recorded therein is supplied to a developing device in order to develop the radiographic image. Alternatively, the stimulable phosphor panel is supplied to a reading device in order to read the radiographic image as a visible image.
In an operating room or the like, it is necessary to read a recorded radiographic image immediately from a radiation conversion panel after the radiographic image has been captured for the purpose of quickly and appropriately treating the patient. As a radiation detector that meets such a requirement, radiation detecting apparatus have been developed having a solid-state detector for converting radiation directly into electric signals, or for converting visible light, which has been converted from radiation by a scintillator, into electric signals.
Conventional radiographic image capture managing systems, which are capable of remotely managing the above radiation detecting apparatus, are known from Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-037141, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-042361, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-075387, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-000592, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-235836, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-267101, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-149151, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-172783, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-229102, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-345802.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-037141 discloses a method of determining whether or not there is a sign of failure of an image forming apparatus. More specifically, plural types of state data are received from the image forming apparatus and stored in a state database. Then, plural types of object data for determining a sign of failure are generated based on the plural types of state data. It is determined whether or not each of the plural types of object data is in excess of a reference value, and the determined results are weighted by weights set for the respective state data. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a sign of failure of the image forming apparatus according to a majority rule.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-042361 also discloses a method of determining whether or not there is a sign of failure of an image forming apparatus. More specifically, plural types of state data, which may be either values of control parameters of image forming apparatus, or detected data produced by a sensor and evaluation data generated based on the detected data, are stored in a database. Then, plural types of object data for determining a sign of failure are generated or extracted from the plural types of state data. It is determined whether or not each of the plural types of object data has a failure tendency, and the determined results are weighted by weights set for the respective state data. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is an overall sign of failure of the image forming apparatus according to a majority rule.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-075387 discloses a method of managing a CT apparatus in a hospital from a remote location. For example, among maintenance data that is collected everyday from a hospital, data of a certain day of the week are sent to a service center once per week, and compared with plural types of past data from a week ago, a month ago, or three months ago. In this manner, long-term changes in the state of the CT apparatus can be tracked for a sign or possibility of failure of the image forming apparatus. If it is judged that there is a sign or possibility of failure of the image forming apparatus, then the service center requests a service station to dispatch a service staff member to the hospital. In response to the request, the service station dispatches a service staff member to the hospital, and the dispatched service staff member takes preventative action before the image forming apparatus actually fails. Conversely, if it is judged that a sign or possibility of failure of the image forming apparatus does not exist, then the service center continues to monitor the maintenance data that are periodically received from the hospital. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-075387, the service center can grasp an actual failure of the image forming apparatus or a sign of failure of the image forming apparatus remotely from the hospital, and can quickly request the service station to dispatch a service staff member to the hospital. Therefore, the service staff member can provisionally prepare equipment and replacement components required to repair the image forming apparatus, take them to the hospital, and promptly repair or otherwise perform maintenance on the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, downtime of the image forming apparatus can be eliminated or reduced. While the X-ray tube of the image forming apparatus warms up, maintenance data thereon are necessarily and routinely collected on days in which the CT apparatus is used. Therefore, the X-ray tube can be monitored for failures and time-dependent changes, without having to take the trouble to acquire such maintenance data again.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-000592 reveals a self-diagnostic system for automatically diagnosing the operating status of an image capturing apparatus, which is connected by a communication means to a maintenance apparatus for performing maintenance on the image capturing apparatus. The image capturing apparatus includes a self-diagnostic means for automatically diagnosing the operating status of the image capturing apparatus, an amount-of-information measuring means for measuring the size of information to be exchanged between the image capturing apparatus and the maintenance apparatus, and an information compressing means for compressing the exchanged information. The information compressing means compresses the exchanged information depending on an output signal output from the amount-of-information, measuring means.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-235836 discloses a reproducibility test service apparatus. In order to reproduce past operations of a medical system, a plurality of past log files directly or indirectly provided by the medical system are stored in a storage device, and a plurality of past operations of the medical system are reproduced on a pseudo-X-ray CT system based on the log files that are stored in the storage device.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-267101 discloses a semiconductor X-ray detector. The disclosed semiconductor X-ray detector has a planar area subjected to X-ray exposure, which is simulated based on an adjustment bias of the semiconductor X-ray detector, to produce a gain image of the semiconductor X-ray detector. The gain image is used in order to calibrate the semiconductor X-ray detector when an X-ray beam is not projected onto the semiconductor X-ray detector. The publication states that the gain image is remotely managed.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-149151 discloses a maintenance assistance information managing apparatus, which is connected to a medical system and a maintenance service apparatus by an electronic communications circuit. The maintenance assistance information managing apparatus includes a unit configured to receive plural log files representing operational records from the medical system, a unit configured to store the log files, a unit configured to analyze the stored log files and determine a usage frequency for each operation type, and a unit configured to provide usage frequency or information derived therefrom in response to a request from the maintenance service apparatus. The maintenance assistance information managing apparatus can identify the cause of a failure in the medical system in a short period of time, thereby reducing the failure period or system downtime.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-172783 discloses a system for detecting a new image defect produced on an image capturing panel, issuing a warning concerning the detected new image defect, and removing radiographic image information that causes the image defect.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-229102 discloses that a warning is issued when an area is detected including a succession of pixel defects of a radiation solid-state detector over a certain number of pixels.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-345802 discloses that replacement component information obtained by a replacement component information acquiring means of a medical image generating apparatus is displayed, in order to allow a user to know which component needs to be replaced and a time at which the component should be replaced.
The related art documents referred to above disclose systems and methods for predicting failures from history information of the apparatus and state information such as image data, monitoring of failures and time-dependent changes, and indicating a time at which to replace a component. However, the related art do not disclose or provide advice concerning ways to extend the service life of radiation detecting apparatus and times at which to replace components thereof. The systems and methods according to the related art also are problematic in that they cannot increase the efficiency with which radiation detecting apparatus are used, and cannot lower running costs.